Thursday’s ad is for Budweiser, from 1965. It’s gatefold two-pager, with an empty bottle of Bud on its side. Only some residual foam remains in the bottle, slowly dripping out, with the tagline “… Every drop tells you why Budweiser is the largest-selling beer in the world.” But does it? Does it really? I remain unconvinced.
Here’s a fun article I stumbled upon that appeared in Popular Science. “Where America Gets Its Booze” was a feature story in their May 1930 issue.
“Where America Gets Its Booze” is an interview with America’s “Prohibition Commissioner,” Dr. James M. Doran, who was a chemist. And boy, doesn’t he look like a fun guy in that photo. According to a Time magazine article from the year before, even his wife was trying to help, as “she marshaled a platoon of reinforcements in the form of recipes for nonalcoholic cocktails. She had prepared a Book of Juices to meet the onslaught of the ‘winter social season just ahead.’ She announced a few of her recipes in advance. Explained Mrs. Doran: ‘Prohibition took something away from the American people, but we can give them something just as good—a cocktail that satisfies but does not inebriate.'” Well, that should do it.
Wednesday’s ad is for the Windisch-Muhlhauser Brewing Co., from some time in the late 1800s. The brewery was founded in 1866, in Cincinnati, by Conrad Windisch and Gottleib and Heinrich Muhlhauser, but was later known as the Lion Brewery and later the Burger Brewing Co., before closing in either 1934 or 1973, depending on whose account you believe.
Tuesday’s ad is for Bock Beer by H. Clausen & Son, from 1879. According to BeerHistory.com’s page Brewing in America in 1879, there were 365 breweries in New York at that time, and H. Clausen & Son was the 9th largest, with barrels sold just under 90,000. it was located at 47th St. & 2nd Ave. The Library of Congress describes the ad as “showing a woman sitting back with her legs up, balancing on one foot a barrel with a goat standing on it; she is holding up a large glass of beer.” I think it looks more like a child, though, not a woman. Either way, what an odd position.
Monday’s ad is for Tooheys Flag Ale, from 1930. Tooheys was founded in 1869 in a suburb of Sydney in New South Wales, but today is part of Lion Nathan. The beautiful ad was done by famed Australian artist Walter Jardine.
Sunday’s ad is for MacLachlans’ Castle Ale, from 1928. The beer was brewed in Edinburgh, on Duddingston Road West, and at other times the brewery was also called Tennent’s Brewery, and apparently they also had a brewery in Glasgow, and operated until around 1955. I love the surreal idea that people are chasing a running bottle of beer. I think they’re at a track with an audience of dogs, because normally it would be people drinking beer in the stands watching dogs racing while chasing a rabbit. That’s not a dream, it’s a nightmare.
Saturday’s ad is for Kaka Ale, or Dunedin Ale (which is also on the label), from between 1914-1918, based on the ad copy “drink success to the Allies. The beer was made by the W. Strachin & Co. brewery, also known as The Victoria Brewery. According to the Alexander Turnbull Library, it was founded in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1857 or 1860 by William Strachan and partners and by 1890 was the oldest brewery in Dunedin, and possibly New Zealand. But that tagline — “Clear To The Last Drop” — priceless.
Friday’s ad is for Acme Beer, from 1947. The ad was illustrated by famous pin-up artist Alberto Vargas, one of several he did for Acme Breweries.
Wednesday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1952. The ad is certainly a bit sexist to modern eyes, showing what is a presumably new bride having burned dinner, while her husband tries to reassure her by pointing out that at least there was nothing wrong with the Schlitz. I wonder why they’re sitting on a plate?
Tuesday’s ad is for Budweiser, from 1933. The ad is celebrating the end of prohibition, which is what they’re referring to when they say America is back, saying both “liberty” and “Budweiser” have returned. But I love the tagline toward the bottom where they refer to Budweiser as “Something More Than Beer.” More how, I wonder?
